94% of ‘natural’ skin products contain an allergen

Seeking out “natural” products for sensitive skin may not be wise, research indicates.

People with skin allergies, contact with an allergen causes an itchy red rash that can last for weeks. Common skin care products such as soaps, serums, and lotions—often what we hope will soothe painful skin—can trigger or worsen the irritation.

Those in search of gentler skin care products may turn to “natural” options, hoping they’ll live up to the claims of an even, healthy-looking complexion. But are these products less likely to cause skin irritation?

To answer this question, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers examined the websites of three national grocery and drug store chains, seeking skin care products labeled as “natural.” They then scoured their ingredient lists to determine whether the products contained common skin allergens.

Here, dermatologist Gordon Bae and medical student Haiwen Gui discuss the results of the study, which appears in JAMA Dermatology:

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